Alt-Tab

Alt-Tab #3

There's a lot happening in the world these days. The war in Iraq, inner city crime, Alberto Gonzales, gun control, Mike Gravel ads on YouTube, immigration, the rebuilding of New Orleans, and celebrities in rehab, to name a few. It can be overwhelming. So when I play a game, I don't want to be reminded of that stuff. Games have no place trying to make social or political commentary. That's the business of things like "The Daily Show," art, and the first four episodes of last year's "Battlestar Galactica."

That's why I was pretty put out when I played Persona 3, which is another Japanese RPG about kids saving the world. In that game, to cast a spell, your kids use guns to commit suicide. Most of them put the gun to their temples, but Yukari puts the gun in her mouth. They pull the trigger. Because the game is for children (you can tell by the anime artwork), shards of blue crystal fly out of their skulls instead of chunks of bone and brain. It's like how zombies in Germany bleed green. Oh, and the kids don't die, so it's apparently some sort of faux suicide that also summons demons and whatnot who do a lot of damage to whatever you're fighting.

The point is obvious. It's about self-identity or inner reserves of strength or how only through death can we really understand mortality or how teenage suicide has the power to inflict more damage than basic melee attacks. Or something like that. I haven't finished the game yet. Plus, I'm not a kid anymore, so I'm out of touch with what kids are going through these days. But the real point is that there's some kind of point, and Atlus, the publishers of the game, weren't able to filter it out. This is surprising considering that it removed the crosses from Disgaea, another game about kids saving the world. Without crosses reminding me of Christianity, I was able to enjoy Disgaea as the escapism it was supposed to be. But now I'm playing Persona 3 and having to think about teenage suicide. And that's not fun. There's a reason I'm playing a JRPG instead of reading "The Bell Jar."

There's another game that just came out called Combat Mission: Shock Force. Shock Force features armed insurgents in the Middle East attacking US troops with IEDs and car bombs. But it's set in Syria. I'm constantly reminded of this fact by a unit info box that identifies the insurgents as "Syrian." This means -- so long as we don't invade Syria -- that I don't have to relate this to reality in any way. Plus, the AI is absolutely bonkers, doing all sorts of crazy things that make no sense, have no bearing on actual military actions, and further reinforce the point that this isn't reality. Fantasy games like Shock Force serve as effective escapism, unlike games about teenage suicide like Persona 3.

I was slightly alarmed to see a fellow named Ian Bogost from Persuasive Games on "The Colbert Report" recently. He was ranting crazily about all sorts of ideas like games being able to make us understand what it feels like to live someone else's life, or games helping us understand the complex and systematic nature of things. Crazy people like him have no business in the games industry, so I'm glad to see none of Bogost's games have been published by companies who matter, like Electronic Arts or Ubisoft or Activision. You know, companies that "get it". These companies know I'm just here to shoot bad guys, or play ball, or drive fast and hard. If I want social commentary, I'll watch "Sicko" or "The View" or go to Superficial.com.

Games, let me talk frankly to you for a second. Are you listening, games? Look, I know you're bummed about what Roger Ebert said about you. It's got to hurt to be called not art by a guy who only gave the "Transformers" movie three out of four stars. But he's doing you a favor by calling it like it is. Art has messy responsibilities like commenting on the Bush Administration or making a point about war or having themes. Seriously, you don't want to have to mess with that stuff.

Just keep in mind that we love you just the same. You don't have to try to be anything you're not. We've been happy with frivolous entertainment ever since you were a little Pong. There's a lot going on the world, but music, movies, and television are addressing it. They've got it covered. You don't need to worry yourself about that stuff. Just make with the fun and we'll get along fine.